Compatible Ink and Toner Vs Original or Brand name Ink and Toner
In today’s growing imaging supply market consumers have a variety of choices to choose from, ranging from the original or brand name supplies, to those of lesser cost, compatibles. For the average consumer who is not educated in buying consumables this can be overwhelming and perhaps confusing when trying to decide which is best to buy. That is why in this article we will try an educate you on consumables so that on your next purchase you will be better informed.
What is the difference between original and compatible ink? Original or OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) ink is that which is made by the name brand Manufacturer who provides their own warranty on the product. This is the most expensive choice for consumers and sometimes the best, which we will discuss more later. Compatible ink which is usually a fraction of the cost of original ink, is most commonly referred to as generic ink, but this is not always true, over the years this definition has grown to include remanufactured cartridges as well. So today, compatible ink can refer to both new generic cartridges and used remanufactured cartridges, because in both cases they are compatible with the printer you are shopping for. We here at Bluedogink.com are among the companies that list products as either OEM or Compatible. So how do you the consumer know which compatibles are new and which are remanufactured? Simple, here it is, the only remanufactured cartridges we sell are HP Inkjets, Dell Ink, and Lexmark Ink. Everything else is new generic cartridges. Not all HP Ink is remanufactured however, HP has a patent on many of their products, and some though are not.
Toners are a little different when referring to compatibles. Most LaserJet toner cartridges contain a built in drum, this drum plays an essential role in how your cartridge will perform. Sold on the market today are both compatibles with used drums (OEM drums) and compatibles with new drums (generic). Important to note here is that a remanufactured cartridge with an OEM drum has a defective rate and usually will not perform equal to the brand name toner. Cartridges with new drums perform far greater and will print equal to new brand name products. Bluedogink.com only sells toners with new drums, and we caution you to beware of sellers with extremely low prices, because often they are selling you toners with OEM drums and in our experience the consumer will eventually pay the price.
So now we understand the difference of Original and Compatible ink, what is best for me? We here at Bluedogink.com feel that each individual’s printing needs are different and therefore to give you the best answer possible, we suggest calling 1-877-258-3364, and one of our trained staff will assist you in buying the best product for your printer. To give you a general answer though, in most cases we feel that going with a compatible ink is a consumers best option, you are paying a fraction of the cost and getting a high quality substitute. However, for most color LaserJet’s we recommend going with original toner. So to get a truly definitive answer you must call in and tell us your printer. For those consumers who have had problems in the past with other sellers of compatible ink, understand that there are many competitors within the compatible ink industry, business’s come and go each day, everyone is trying to make a buck and few are taking it seriously, however we at Bluedogink.com have been around for some time, we believe in providing a good product with good service and will continue to do so for many years to come.
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